$33m donations expected for NSW election campaign

NSW taxpayers are expected to pay $33 million to political parties and candidates to cover the March state election campaign, compared with $8 million in the previous election.

The state’s Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, released an audit report on Friday covering of a range of government agencies including the Election Funding Authority.

He said changes to political donations laws introduced by the former Labor government – capping party and candidate spending per electorate at $150,000 and banning donations from property developers and the alcohol, tobacco and gambling companies – were behind the rise.

“Political parties, groups and individual candidates are now entitled to greater public funding," Mr Achterstraat said.

The Election Funding Authority had not yet received expense claims from the parties, groups and candidates, but he estimated the cost at $33 million, up from $7.6 million in 2007.

Under the changes, individuals and companies can give political parties up to $5000 a year and $2000 to preferred MPs or candidates.

Mr Achterstraat said the NSW Electoral Commission, which conducts elections, spent $40.9 million on the March state election, up from $38.6 million in 2007 but $200,000 less than its approved budget.